Dimensional Heroes: Into Infernity
by jexi the hunter
Summary: The alliance finally arrives at the Tower of Infernity where the rest of the Flux Family awaits as they are forced to start climbing the tower to reach Cretaceous. Who will get there first is up to fate itself.
1. Flux Family Gathers

"We're entering the Darkness Universe now." Kazuichi said as the Galaxy King entered the universe watched over by Black. "Man. Black skies, evil vibes, no light… definitely the right place."

"This could probably be our first time here. Man, this place is dark, literally." Hope said.

"I take offense to that." Onyx said. "I'm from here, you know."

"Uh...hehe." Hope said. "Sorry."

"Smooth. Real smooth." Jexi said before they were approaching a large black tower that seemed to reach endlessly into the sky. "This must be it."

"And Cretaceous is supposed to be at the top of this thing? Just how high is it, anyway?" David asked.

"Well I've only heard tales of it but the tower supposedly has over 1,000 floors with multiple tricks and turns." Sheer said.

"Hmm. Something's preventing the ship from rising higher than the tower. Likely something Cretaceous had a part in. We better land near the base." Tails said.

"This means we're going to be doing a lot of walking if we're going to reach the top." Sachiko said.

"And we don't know who or what could be in that tower. We should remain under constant guard." Leopardmon said.

"Right. This tower is taller than Tartarus." Kagura said.

"Hey...there's people around the base too." Cobalt said as they saw people standing around.

"Could they be the other Flux Family Members?" Jago asked.

"Who else could it be?" Mark replied.

They soon touched down near the base as they disembarked.

"Come on. How hard is it to destroy a door?" one of them said.

"Uh...why don't you try it then?" asked one in robes.

"All right. Nothing stops Atticus Flux from...Ahh!" he said being shocked by the door.

"Hahaha. 5th time today and that never gets old." the one in robes said.

"You okay, Atticus?" another family member asked.

"Stupid door. Doesn't know who I am." he said.

14th Flux Family

Atticus Flux

"Oh please. None of us can get in right now." the one in robes said. "But nothing is more fun than watching a few fools embarrass themselves."

24th Flux Family

Shin Flux

"Hey, looks like we got a few more guests to the party." Atticus noticed as the Galaxy King touched down.

"Hmm. Oh. They're those loser members we've been hearing about. The ones who were too weak to get the coordinates themselves. Such a shame to beg for help." Shin said.

The doors opened as Achilles came out first.

"What did you say?! I don't need anyone's help!" Achilles said.

"Achilles, please! Don't listen to him!" Damien said.

"Really? The open the door." Shin said.

"All right I'll...Ah!" Achilles said getting shocked.

"6th!" Shin said laughing.

"What's wrong with you?" Hope said.

"I'm just killing a little time before we're forced to climb this thing." Shin said.

"By bullying people?" David asked.

"Last I checked, I did not touch him. I only suggested opening the door. He didn't have to try and open it." Shin said.

"Says every noble I've ever met… Seriously." David said.

"Hmm? Ah...now here comes another special group." Shin said as they saw a group of five approach and leading them was Theodore.

"So… He's finally shown up." David muttered.

"We're finally here." James said.

"Indeed. It took a while but we've gathered all the coordinates." Theodore said.

"Yeah...we're good at this." Club aka Caesar Flux said.

"Club? You joined him?" Achilles said.

"He says I was smart enough and I say yes." Caesar said.

"Anyone with Dokurobo's brain could easily fall for him…" Hope muttered.

"Long time no see, dear brother." Elena said. "A shame our reunion spot couldn't be picked out better."

James just stayed silent as she spoke to her. "(Don't say anything or she'll kill you. Don't say anything or she'll kill you.)" James thought.

"He's really scared of you." Litty said to Elena.

"Don't worry. I've got ways of making him talk. Anastasia." Elena said.

"Well...aren't you a charming lady. You come to admire us?" a voice said as a man in a black suit approached Anastasia. "Let me just say you are the light of my eyes."

20th Flux Family

Eros Flux

"I'm a succubus, my dear. It comes with the territory." Anastasia said.

"Fine with me. I'm an incubus." he said spreading devil-like wings.

"A demon? Wow… Cretaceous really gets around, doesn't he?" David asked.

"Yeah, I didn't see that coming." Ace said.

"Our shared father is not one to worry over trivial matters such as race or status." said a man in shining knight-like armor.

11th Flux Family

Prismic Flux

"Eros, Prismic...don't bother with these unrelated variables. We've come for the fortune and we won't leave without it." Theodore said.

"(Act smug all you want, Theodore. You'll soon get what's coming to you…)" David thought.

"It seems there's more of us here than I thought." a voice said as Diana Flux aka Diamond approached. "Hello, Ace."

"Diamond." Achilles said. "Look. You can just let me…"

"Tough chance. We all know you wanna destroy our promised inheritance." Atticus said.

"And we do not intend to let that happen." Shin said.

"Calm yourselves, my dear half brothers and sisters." a voice said as they saw a familiar group of thieves approach. "No need for such violence among family."

"The Lost Thieves." Simon said.

"Ah...old friends. Funny, seems like the other day we were working together just to eliminate Odin." Arthur said.

"Speak for yourself. We're not the ones that have been...resurrected." Elena said.

"Ah...younger sister. Still sore I snaked your position as oldest Flux Family sibling?" Arthur asked.

"I can care less about that. All that matters to me is keeping it out of Theodore and James' hands." Elena said. "Wait, why are you even here? You get the fortune if everyone else fails."

"True but I'm not the kind of person to wait for something to be brought to me on a silver platter. I would rather earn it myself." Arthur said.

"At least we can agree on that. Between you and me, the prize isn't all that rewarding unless you earn it." David said. "Speaking from the standpoint of a competitor is all."

"I see. Just so you know, we may have been allies during the war, that however is not the same today." Arthur said.

"Alright, gangway!" a voice said as they saw the New Universal Villains arriving.

"Well...seems the parade came late today. A mass of clowns." Shin said.

"Entrapta?!" Mari said.

"Oh, hi Mari!" Entrapta said.

"So, this tower's where your dad's supposed to be?" Scorpia asked Techno.

"Ancestor, and yes." Techno replied. "The coordinates led to this exact spot at this exact time. Seems Cretaceous figured out how to predict the tower's travel movements. Impressive, I must say."

"All right. Outta the way. Important person coming through." a voice said as Flux arrived with Ian. "The most important member of the family...has arrived!" he said posing with Ian before the family members started laughing.

"Did...did we say something funny?" Ian asked.

"Big brother did it again..." Damien sighed.

"Well...glad to see you haven't changed, Amadeus." Arthur said.

"Artemis…" Flux said. "Oh...I suppose you…" he said before Arthur grabbed his hand.

"I promise no matter what happens, we shall remain brothers. And you will get your share." Arthur said.

"Heh. Yeah." Flux said smiling.

"Aw, isn't brotherly love just the sweetest thing?" David asked.

"Yeah." Ace said. "But seeing it between them kinda feels weird to me."

"Same here." Jexi said.

"Hmm. Of all the Flux families...seems the only ones who haven't shown up yet are the 5th, 8th and 10th." Diana said.

"Not for long. Look." said Spade aka Marvin Flux as walking towards them was Barry Flux along with Kenshin, Heart and Leonis.

"So this is him...the one of us who bares animosity towards our shared father. How interesting." Shin said.

"I see all the branches are here." Barry said with an even tone until he saw the Hero Alliance and brightened up. "Oh, hey guys! Great to see you."

"Okay...why are you with this guy?" Jexi whispered to the three.

"Harumi thought it would be a good idea to make sure he was guarded. Zexi and her said they got this weird vibe from him when he said he would participate." Leonis whispered.

"Weird vibe?" Mark asked, looking more than a little worried.

"Something you're not telling us, Mark?" Hope asked.

"Well...Barry hates Cretaceous because he feels he doesn't care about any of his kids. I think...he might be here to kill him." Mark admitted.

"So Barry doesn't know the real reason why Cretaceous has been all over the world?" Hope asked. "Wait...what's the real reason?"

"I don't know. None of us do." Damien said.

"But the important thing is that all of the branches are here. So what happens now?" Ian asked.

A television screen then floated down as Cretaceous' face appeared.

"To all of my children and their guests...I welcome you to the Tower of Infernity." Cretaceous said. "You have all worked hard to make it here. Gathered all the clues and located me here. Your journeys are almost over. All you have to do is climb the tower and reach the top where I will be."

"That's it? No worries...I'll climb the outside and…" Atticus said before they saw something dive across the skyline which was soon revealed to be a large Pterodactyl.

"A Pteranodon?!" Hope exclaimed.

"There is one more thing I should mention. I've actually come to this tower several times during the course of my travels. I've actually been using it to house many different creatures from across the universes, most of them, as you can see… are quite dangerous. I've even hired a few old friends in order to make things a bit more...challenging." Cretaceous said.

"So it's a race to the top with various challenges and roadblocks." Shoji said.

"Now then...the door will unlock in five minutes. Once it does, you are free to run into the tower. I look forward to seeing all of you...my precious children." Cretaceous said as the screen went off.

"Here we go…" Hope said setting his watch.

"Hope… I will do it. I will meet him up there." Damien said.

"If we don't beat you to it." Fenric said.

"No way. I'm going to get that fortune first." Flux said. "Way before the muscle head, the robe guy and...the extremely handsome look-alike of me."

"Hmm. Citrine...would you be fine going up on your own?" Cobalt asked.

"Uh...I suppose. Why?" Citrine asked.

"The spell to bring him back is active...and I'd rather not let these Universal Villains get in your way." Cobalt said.

"You mean…" Citrine said as she steeled herself.

"While you're climbing the tower...we're going to be down here fighting them for as long as we can." Cobalt said.

"Then I'll win. For everyone." Citrine said.

"Just a few more steps." Achillies said.

The timer soon ticked down to the last few seconds before hitting zero as most of the members and heroes rushed in.

"Now...GUARDIAN'S RUSH!" Cobalt shouted rushing right into the Universal Villains.

"What do you think you're trying to do?" Cell said.

"Giving our dear friends the lead ahead of you." Emerald said. "We owe them that much."

"Well, that's just typical." Techno said as he held out his arm and tapped several buttons on a device around his wrist. "In that case, I'll have to go it alone. DaDan, can you and the others handle yourselves?"

"You...won't be leaving. Divine Barrier!" Zircon said entrapping them inside of a dome. "Sorry. Looks like I trapped us with them.

"Don't sweat it. I probably would have blocked the entrance if you hadn't done that." Lycan said. "We're definitely outnumbered."

"Yes...but...we have to do all we can for them." Cobalt said.

"Let's focus on staying alive...for Theo's sake." Sandstone said.

"Well...this is a shame." Techno sighed. "And right before your leader comes back...we'll make this quick." he said as the New Universal Villains charged.

"Don't underestimate...an adventurer's spirit." Cobalt said as they charged as well.


	2. Fight of their Lives

As the Universal Villains and Mythos Heart adventurers fought outside the tower, inside the multiple branches of the Flux Family were hastily climbing the tower in order to try and reach the top.

"At least Techno's taken care of! But that leaves us with the other Fluxes!" Hope said.

"And whoever gets to Cretaceous first wins, right? So we have to make sure no one who wants to use the Inheritance for evil other than Techno will win." Nana said.

"And we have to make sure Barry doesn't kill him, too." Ciel said.

"Right." Spade said. "Though I am curious about something."

"Those 'old friends' of his that he mentioned? I don't like the sound of that either." Kabuki said.

"Not to mention the creatures and monsters that reside in this tower." Mari said.

"This towers also a giant maze in itself. We have to watch for traps and tricks." Hope said.

"Even with Juno's help I can't find us a direct route. Nor can I pick up any signatures." Lilianna said.

"Likely his work to make sure no one gets an upperhand." Verda said.

"She's right. That would make this too easy." Mayumi said.

"Yeah...maybe this won't be so…" Emo said before being caught in a web. "Bad?" he said before seeing a large purple spider.

"What you all are seeing is known as a Bloodscent Arachnid. It's a species of spider from the Nature Universe. They tend to attract unknowing prey so they can devour it." Cretaceous's voice said.

"Isn't that a monster from Dragoborne?" Mari asked.

"Maybe. I'd look it up if it wasn't going to eat me." Emo said nonchalantly. "Little help, please?" he said before it webbed his mouth shut.

"Don't worry! I got this. Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu said lighting the web on fire.

"You idiot! That's not gonna stop it, it's just gonna piss it off!" Zenitsu said.

"Well, what do you suggest then?" Saki asked.

The spider hissed as it walked away from its prey and headed for them.

"Out of my way!" Zan said thrusting her spear at lightning speed. "Better luck next time!" she finished, sending it flying with a powerful high heel kick before being caught in the thread as the spider pulled her towards it. "Uh...about that cocky bit…"

"Ultimate Color Sword!" Jexi shouted slashing the thread as the spider hissed as it scurried away to another floor.

"Are you okay, Zan?" Francisca asked as she pulled Zan up.

"Sticky from the thread...but otherwise, I'm okay." Zan said.

"Mmm. Mmmhmmmhmmhmh!" Emo said muffled.

"Oh right. We better get him down from there." David said as he leaps and slices the thread holding Emo.

"Bleugh! I think I swallowed some! Ick!" Emo gagged. "Thanks, Dave."

"Yeah…Anytime." David said.

"We better watch our step. These monsters could just appear outta nowhere." Indigo said.

"Man, what floor are we on now?" Kagura asked.

"Last I checked...23rd." Sci-Twi said.

"We've still got a long way to go. My feet are gonna be sore in the morning." David said.

"977 floors left it seems." X said.

"Guys, this is easy. If we keep climbing without focusing on the number, we'll reach the top in no time." Rainbow said.

"If only it's ever that easy." Sachiko said. "Just ask us about trekking the Tokyo Metropolitan Building."

"Hm. What if it IS like trekking the Tokyo Metropolitan Building?" Double D asked.

"It wasn't all that long, but they had to fight Dynasmon, Arata and me." Leopardmon said.

"Which, believe us, wasn't easy considering who we were dealing with." David said.

"Agreed." Zero said.

"We better keep moving. Who knows how much farther the others have gotten." Jexi said.

_Elsewhere within the tower…_

"Okay...who suggested we fight this guy?" Leonis said as the four of them were faced with a large kraken.

"It does seem like a bit of a challenge doesn't it?" Kenshin said.

"Seems like?!" Leonis said.

"Don't worry Leonis." Barry said. "We can do this if we stick together."

"I've got a monster!" a voice cried as Atticus jumped from nowhere and grabbed a tentacle before slamming the beast onto dry land. "Sweet. Fresh calamari." he said.

"Phew. He got us away from the monster. We better get outta here before he notices us." Leonis said.

"He's a strong one." Kenshin said.

"Kenshin, I don't like that glint in your eye." Barry said.

"No, no fighting. We're leaving." Leonis said before they were faced with a giant boar. "Oh boy. Well...one thing to do. Summon...the Luminary! The Hero!" Leonis said as appearing before them was a young man in purple holding a strange sword.

The Hero then lunged at the boar before taking it down with a clean sword slash.

"Now...we can leave." Leonis said as they headed away to the next floor.

Across the tower, the other members of the Flux Family continued to fight through the beasts of the floors as they continued to climb higher and higher while down at the base…

"Ha….this is turning out to be very tiring." Cobalt said as he and the adventurers were being driven to exhaustion from fighting the Universal Villains.

"Cobalt...we can't keep this up for much longer." Sandstone said.

"Drat...is this...how it's going to end?" Cobalt pondered.

"Ugh...no. I won't...let them have their way." Ivy groaned reaching out towards the sky. "Theo...I...know you…"

"Okay, let's finish this up and get in there." DaDan said.

"Um, scuse me?" Entrapta asked. "What is that girl doing?"

"She does not matter. She has no magic left. It's better to just put her out of her misery." Raynare said. "Bye bye…little witch."

"Theo...looks like we failed." Ivy said smiling.

But before the final blow could be struck, a bright beam of light came down between the two.

"What in the…" Raynare said before finding her arm sliced off. "Ahhh!"

"Whoa...seems you guys really got into a mess here." a voice said.

"You…" Ivy groaned.

(Cue: Unbreakable Chains- Kingdom Hearts 3)

"Hey guys." Said a familiar sight to Mythos Hearts. "Did you miss me?"

It turned out to be Theo, who had returned.

"You're…..back." Cobalt said.

"I made a promise, didn't I?" Theo asked sending Raynare back. "I told everybody I would be back. And I've kept that promise." he said. "Hmm...we're dealing with a weird bunch today huh. Eh...no matter." he said summoning his keyblade. "Nice to meet you all. My name is Theo. I'm the leader of Mythos Hearts...and an adventurer through and through."

"Where did you come from?!" Jasper asked in disbelief.

"Me? Let's just say I came from the stars." Theo said.

Jasper in anger summoned her helmet and charged.

"Jasper, hold on!" Boba called.

Theo blocked Jasper's head butt with his keyblade as he flipped over her and struck her on the back. "Huh...that felt easier than it used to be." Theo said.

"Cocky little runt!" Jasper said using her spin dash and charging at theo.

"Capricorn Mode: Shield!" he said creating a massive shield that blocked the attack. "Aquarius Mode!" he said before changing to two water pistols. He fired at Jasper as she was pushed back.

"You no good... It's time you died!" Raynare said.

"Sorry...not ever again." Theo said. "Combat of the stars!" he said reverting his blade to normal form before slashing through her. "Cosmic Slash!"

"No...way." she said fading away into stardust.

"Live a life of peace among the stars." Theo said.

"Theo...his power. It's twice as powerful than when we were at the Keyblade Graveyard." Shizaku said.

"I figured. There's a skill called The Cosmos' Gift. A rare skill that grants the one who has it incredible power but the only way it can activate is if the user dies. Theo...you never cease to amaze me." Cobalt said.

"Raynare! NO!" Jasper shouted.

"You're going to pay for that!" Boba said before he froze up as Theo stared the villains down.

"I'm only going to say this once. Mess with my guild...and none of you will live to see another day." Theo said.

"Is he really going to…" Amber said.

"Honestly, I'd rather you join my guild than die but I don't think you'd see it that way." Theo said with a goofy grin.

"No...he's still him." Cobalt said.

"Uh…" Scorpia had no idea what to make of Theo.

"Huh...this place is pretty dingy. Whoa. And that tower is huge!" Theo said. "I'm guessing the Hero Alliance is in there?"

"So is Citrine, one of our newer members." Cobalt said.

"Really? Huh...think I wanna climb it after we're done here. It'll be nice to catch up with everyone." Theo said.

"Is...is this guy for real?" Twice whispered.

"Apparently so." Techo replied.

"Hmm? Oh...you guys are still here?" Theo said. "Uh...don't do bad from now on." he said before running in with his guildmates following after.

"That...has to be the weirdest kid I've ever met." Boba said.

"Weird, yes, but he killed Raynare." Techno said, looking down. "Someday...we WILL pay him back tenfold."

"Oh, he is the least of your worries." a voice said as Arthur appeared. "Greetings….hmm. I would have to go with nephew?"

"What do you want from us, Arthur?" Boba asked.

"Hmm. Don't know a lot of...Oh you I recognize. Aren't you the Buddyfighter who got his butt kicked by Ishihara twice?" Arthur said to DaDan.

"That's how you remember me? We were on the same side!" DaDan said.

"Anyway...I have time to kill before I have to make it to the top. So I thought we could play. Well...one of us anyway." Arthur said as Lan emerged. "Think you can handle them?"

"Yeah...I got this. A good chance to test the new Infernity deck I prepared." Lan said.

"Then I leave dealing with them to you." Arthur said covering an eye. "If you make it out alive...I'll greet you with a hello." he said before vanishing.

"Wait, is he challenging me to a Buddyfight?" Dadan asked.

"A game? You really are slow on the uptake." Lan said. "No...I do more than just play card games." he said. "Come. Infernity Beast!" he said as a deformed looking monster appeared.

"Looks like...we're down to our last option." Compress said before sealing Techno up before tossing him and unsealing him at the door.

"Boss, you gotta make it to the top!" DaDan said.

"DaDan...okay. I'll see you all up there." Techno said running into the tower.

"Darn. Well...I can still get out my stress by taking you guys out." Lan said.

"Uh, are we completely sure we can hold this man off?" Entrapta said.

"Better than getting our butts kicked. Now c'mon, we need to stop him!" Catra said.

"Sorry...but the moment you hesitated...you lost the fight." Lan said as a strange castle appeared behind him. "Archfiend Palabyrinth! Normally in games you're bound to certain rules. While I do respect them in the game, I feel constrained. That's the reason I joined the Lost Thieves...for the sense of freedom." he said drawing a card. "Infernity Knight!" he said as a knight appeared.

"He's just some human. Destroy him and get it over with." Frieza said.

"Some human? No. I'm the champion. Besides, my boss is waiting...so are those hero guys. Now...you're about to witness something very fun!" he said as a strange sack like structure appeared in the sky as it absorbed the two monsters below.

"This...sense of terror...what is this?" Cell said.

"This is something I obtained when we were robbing an old tomb in Africa. I found some very fun cards indeed." he said as rising from the ground was a large giant like creature with light blue lines. "Earthbound Immortal! Ccapac Apu! Now...it's time you all...fell." he said as the giant pulled its arm back and thrusted it at the villains.

"Holy….!" DaDan could say before the fist made impact before the monster vanished as Lan looked at the crater of defeated villains.

"This deck is amazing. Can't wait to try it in my next tournament." Lan said heading into the tower.


	3. Guardian of the Sky

"Hmm?" Sheer pondered staring out.

"Something up?" Jexi asked.

"I just felt a massive power surge but it's gone now. Guess Mythos Hearts is having quite a battle." Sheer said.

"They're doing all they can to make sure we reach the top." Ace said.

"We have to make sure we do our part too." Hope said. "For their sakes."

"That is if we can even reach the top." Zenitsu said. "I feel like we're gonna die at any moment."

"Aside from Zenitsu's anxiety, I wonder how high we are now." Camilla said.

"It only feels like we've climbed such a ways." Titanica said.

"Well we're about to reach the next...floor." Sonia said as they saw the room decorated with stained glass with the glass depicting various sites of the Sky Universe.

"What is this?" Kor asked.

"It looks like the insides of some kind of chapel." David said.

"Hmm? There is Devaloka." Tsuki said.

"Yes...that was a recent addition." a voice said as emerging was a woman with long cyan hair with glasses and large wings. "The only newest piece of land within so many centuries."

"Zadkiel." Sheer said.

"Who?" Hope asked.

"She's one of the nine angels that protect the Sky Universe." Sheer said.

"She's probably also one of Cretaceous' 'old friends' as well." Simon said.

"I commend you for reaching the 200th floor. Well done." Zadkiel said.

"I am guessing that in order to advance we must fight." Spade said. "Or is there a different reason?"

"I would appreciate it if you waited until I was finished." Zadkiel said pushing her glasses up. "Now...it's time...some questions. You'll be asked three questions about the Sky Universe. Pass two out of three and you proceed. But fail and you all will be dropped back down to Floor 1."

"We can't have that. Some of our feet are sore already." Genis said.

"So let's try to answer at least two of the three questions and we won't get dropped down." Hope said.

"Now...the first question...what is beneath the cloud sea of the sky universe?" Zadkiel said.

"A hard question right off the bat… none of us know what's down there." Hope said.

"Trick question. There is nothing down there but a warp portal leading to the Demon Universe." Sheer said.

"Correct." Zadkiel said.

"Wow, thanks Sheer." Kazuichi said.

"The next question. Including me there are eight other angels who protect the Sky Universe. Name at least 4 of them." Zadkiel said.

"Hmm. I know Michael is one." Francisca said.

"Uriel." Hope said.

"Raphael." Asia said.

"And...Gabriel." Sonia said.

"Hmm. Correct." Zadkiel said.

"Really? All four of the Cardinal Archangels?" David asked.

"Yes. They along with me, Sandalphon, Metatron, Camael and Ramiel are protectors of the Sky Universe." Zadkiel said.

"It's pretty cool to hear that." Hope said.

"Now...the last question. There are three major races that populate the sky universe. Name them." Zadkiel said.

"Nephilims." Ace said.

"Skyians." Hope continued.

"Angels." Pit said.

"Hmm. That is correct." Zadkiel said. "You've passed the Sky Universe quiz. Well done."

"A perfect score, too." Hope said. "Thank you for your time, Zadkiel."

"Feel free to take a break before you continue." Zadkiel said.

"That would be best, we have been climbing nonstop." Philia said.

"Yeah. We can use the rest for our legs." David said.

"But I wonder if anyone's ahead of us? Or are we ahead of them?" Hope asked.

"Not really something we need to focus on right now." Damien said. "We just need to keep climbing and not worry about who is ahead or not."

"Right." Hope said.

"But still, our trek has only just begun." David said.

"He is not wrong. There are still plenty of floors to climb. But there are a couple like mine that offer rest." Zadkiel said.

"That's good to hear. Means we don't have to climb all the time." Fuyuhiko said.

"Though there are some ways that you can climb way higher than imaginable through the tower. Just need to know the secrets." Zadkiel said as she turned to leave.

"Know its secrets? So some of the others have taken a different route of some kind." David said. "Well, looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

"Definitely." Ace said as he looked to Spade.

"Damien….where's the medical kit?" Hope asked.

"Didn't bring it." Damien said.

"What? But the Malice it'll…" Hope said.

"Relax and don't worry about it. It never occurred to me before but thanks to my brother...I finally understand it. The true nature of Malice itself." Damien said.


	4. Siblings Unite

"Okay...if things are what I think...this is floor 500." Verda said.

"Halfway through already. We're making quite some progress." David said.

"Yeah and we still have another 500 to g-" Sci-Twi said before they arrived at a large lake.

"So all we gotta do is swim across? Easy." Rainbow said.

"Why does it smell like...wait stop!" Sci-Twi said pulling her back.

"Why? What's…" Rainbow said before they saw a Pteradon spit as it seemed to melt in the lake.

"That's not water. That's acid." David said.

"Acid?" Sakura asked.

"Sulfuric Acid to be specific. Had I not recognized the smell, she would have died instantly." Sci-Twi said.

"Hmmm, how can we get across now?" Shoji asked.

"We should probably go back and consider finding an alternative route. We can't just go across a lake of acid." Aelita said.

"Unless we can fly, but...not a lot of us can do that." Sectonia said.

"Plus like the dinosaur, the fumes would eventually get to the flyer." Sci-Twi said.

"Just like my father, to create an almost impossible puzzle." Damien said.

"Hmm. If we try to freeze it, the acid would probably melt through it. What if we release a high pressure of heat to dry it up?" ZS asked.

"Not a good idea. Heating it will increase the deadly fumes its giving off." Sci-Twi said.

"Let's try to find another route." Francisca said.

"She's right. Maybe there's a bridge or something to cross over it." Izuku said.

As they looked around, they didn't find much but only a couple of metal boats.

"Metal boats?" Stoj asked.

"Hmm. Titanium. Makes sense. It is highly resistant to acid." Sci-Twi said.

"Then that could be our chance to cross over." Leviathan said.

"Slight problem. The boats can only hold a few of us at a time. We'll have to make a lot of trips just to get everyone across." David said.

"Uh...Dave?" Jexi said as they saw one of the boats sailing off with Shin in it.

"Hello there. Lovely day for sailing, right?" he said.

"**This guy is really starting to piss me off.**" Griffon said.

"Forget him. We still have a single boat." Nami said.

"I don't think so." a voice said as Atticus emerged from the stairway. "That boat is mine."

"Look..we don't have to fight. Let's talk this over." Elena said.

"Talk is cheap. The time for action is now!" Atticus said picking the boat up before tossing it into the acid. "There."

"Uh...how are you gonna get in then?" Usopp asked.

"Oh easy I'll...um...hmm. That's a good question." he said.

"Big, but dumb as dirt." Aya said.

"Forget it. I think I might have a way to get us across. Metal Creation Magic: Titanium Bridge Builder!" Elementa said as a metallic structure soon rose from the ground. "Since this metal is resistant...I can bridge us all across."

"Nice thinking, Elementa!" Gemini said.

"Lets go!" Damien said as everyone started crossing the bridge.

"Wait, what about Atticus?" Akane said.

"I wouldn't worry too much about him." Sachiko said.

"Yeah, he's an act first think later type. Not really helpful in this race." Hope said.

"Hard to believe Shin is acquainted with the guy. I feel sorry for Atticus." David said.

"Yeah, next time we see him, I'm gonna mess up that pretty face of his." Simon said.

"Get in line, I wanna punch him too." Hope said.

"Geez. These two will get mad over anything. Hmm. Now that I think of it...surprised we haven't run into Theodore or his posse yet." Jexi said.

"Maybe we passed them." Onyx said.

"Or they're further ahead." Ulrich said.

"I think it's a good thing we haven't. But if I know how these things go, we'll meet up with him when we're just a ways from the top." David said.

"Sounds about right. That is final boss 101 right there." Sunset said.

"And when we do, David, promise us that you won't hold back. You need to use everything you have so that all of his victims can finally rest in peace and put at ease." Sachiko said.

"Don't worry, Sachiko… I have no intention of letting him have his way with anything." David said.

"Finally...we made it." Jexi said as they reached the other side.

"What the?" Shin said arriving last. "The boat was a slower way? Nuts."

"It's not the boat, compadre. It's you." David said.

"Of course its me. I have no sailing experience." Shin said.

"Then why, oh why, did you ditch Atticus on the other side like that?" David asked.

"Him? Please we just arrived at the tower around the same time. We have no partnership." Shin said.

"Just as I thought. And that is why you have no one to protect you now." David said.

"Protection? Why would I need protection? I am more than capable of scaling this thing on my own." Shin said.

"Oh really?" David asked intently.

"Uh oh… I know that look of his. He's about to declare psychological warfare on this guy." Jesse said.

"Look. You really should not be trying that. Bad things always happen to someone who picks a fight with me." Shin said.

"Is that so? I don't think you're in any position to talk. The way I see it, you're not really anything special. Just a typical schoolyard bully." David said.

"Yeah...and you're going down." Nekomaru said charging him.

"To be fair...I did warn you people." Shin said as the punch landed only for Nekomaru to receive it and sent flying.

"What the heck?!" Hope asked.

"A demon's curse called Revenge Counter. Anyone who tried to do me harm gets dealt the hit instead. It was something I picked up from a...con gone wrong." Shin said.

"So it was you. You were the one that framed AJ." David said.

"AJ? I know that boy. True we were partners for a time but I would never frame him like that." Shin said.

"Well whatever you did to him earned him a wrongful prison sentence." Hope said.

"We were manufacturing an Enhanced Drug based off the Artificial Enhanced formula." Shin said. "However one of our buyers sold us out and attacked us."

"So what you're saying is you left him behind. Stabbed him in the back." Hope said.

"You bastard, how could you?" Ace said.

"I had very little choice in the matter." Shin said.

"So who was it? This buyer." Hope said.

"A Demon Lord. Mammon." Shin said.

"**The Sin of Greed?**" Griffon asked.

"The very same. He controls some of the criminal underworld in several worlds. When he heard what we were attempting...he...took action." Shin said.

"The fact remains that you turned your back on your partner. People like you...make me sick." David said.

"We're gonna make you pay for what you did to AJ!" Hope said.

"And how will you do that? I'm literally like Wobbuffet!" Shin said as most of them raised eyebrows. "A walking countering tournament excluder?"

"Hmm… That may be true, but everything has a weakness." David said.

"Good luck. I've tried to get this curse lifted several times. It's nearly impossible to remove a demon lords curse." Shin said. "Oh...you were talking about getting past to try and hurt me, aren't you?"

"Geez… For a mastermind, you sure are slow on the uptake, aren't you? You may have a Demon Lord's curse, but there's one thing you should know." David said.

"You're a Demon Slayer and God Slayer. I am well aware of your background." Shin said.

"Precisely. Which is why I won't have much trouble using your own curse to my own advantage." David said.

"**This is gonna be good!**" Griffon laughed.

"What are you saying?! You can't use my own curse to hurt me!" Shin said.

"You're such a terrific dumbass." Hope said.

"Ugh...why do any of you even care? I thought you hated Theodore and Amadeus and Techno?" Shin said.

"Trust me. It's best you don't know." David said as he planted Blizzard Edge on the ground. "Breath of Ice, Sixth Form! Arctic Illusions!" David said as he created two ice clones of himself. The clones went to strike Shin.

"Oh for the love of. Just stop. I'm not just going to…" Shin said before walking into the clones fist. "Ow. That hurt. That...that hurt. Ah...That's right. The curse deflects attacks caused by others onto themselves but doesn't activate if I cause harm onto myself."

David smirked at this. "Looks like I finally found your weakness."

"It's not really a weakness more like…" Shin said before seeing the ice frozen and form long shaped pillars around him. "What the?" he said as they started moving ahead. "Ah...good joke guys. How about melting the ice? Huh? Huh?"

"Hmm….no." David said as they left.

"Okay...maybe if I move carefully I won't…" Shin said as he slipped and ran into a pillar. "Ow." he said before sliding into another and then another. "This is gonna be harder than I thought." he sighed before hearing someone approach his little prison.

"Oh...a little stuck are you?" Techno said.

"You know I am. Get me out." Shin said.

"Hmm. I dunno. It is a lot of ice and…" Techno said.

"Oh don't play coy with me. I know when someone's trying to get something from someone. What do you want?" Shin said.

"Team up with me and join my group and we can split the inheritance 50/50." Techno said.

"No way." Shin said.

"Fine. Have fun playing pinball on ice." Techno said pretending to walk off.

"Wait wait! I changed my mind!" Shin said.

"Okay...now...keep in mind...I'm not the best shot with a laser." Techno said.

"Wonder if it's too late to turn myself in." he sighed.


	5. Guardians

"Okay. We're now on Floor 650. Not too much longer before…" Lucy said before they arrived in an egyptian themed room.

"This must be another checkpoint." Hope said.

"Which means one of father's acquaintances is here." Damien said.

"Wow...so this is another of C's kids." a voice said as dropping down was a boy in white robes with a bow and arrow and a turban. "Hi there."

"Um… Hello. Nice place you have here." David said getting some sand off his jacket.

"Yeah it was a total rush job since me and C only knew each other for about a year." the boy said.

"What's your name?" Saaya asked.

"Oh. My name is Amun. One of the protectors of the Desert Universe." he said.

"A pleasure." Hope said. "So what do we have to do to pass?"

"Hmm...oh. I got it...you all get an automatic pass." Amun said.

"Well, that was easy." David said.

"Now...shush. We're about to watch something fun." Amun said as a screen appeared showing the top of the tower where Cretaceous waited as Diana emerged.

"So you've arrived, daughter of my 3rd family." Cretaceous said.

"I've made it to the top. Surrender the inheritance to me." Diana said.

"Sorry but you haven't finished yet. You must touch me in order to actually succeed." he said.

"Okay." Diana said approaching before he jumped into the air. "What the?"

"Heh...that's just like C." Amun said.

"Even at his age, he's still that active? Wow… No wonder he's one of Dad's closest allies." David said.

"Yeah. It's not enough to just climb this tower. You gotta show the fruits of your labor too. If she touches him just once, she gets the inheritance. But if she fails to do so within three minutes, she gets dropped back down to the first floor." Amun said.

"My law will stop him." Diana said before finding her pad taken. "What the?"

"You'll have to be quicker than that." Cretaceous said dropping it over the edge.

"Oh…" she said charging him as he easily avoided her movements before jumping near the edge before circling around her.

"And...that's time." he said as a hole opened as she fell through.

"Whoa, Diana didn't even touch him…" Hope said. "Cretaceous is amazing."

"Wow, there's more to him than meets the eye." Ace said. "Even if he is affected by the Malice."

"Yeah...To Find may sound like an easy path but you actually have to touch him to call it a success." Amun said.

"I bet some of them took this route, thinking it's going to be easy." Elena said.

"But if our experiences have taught us anything, it's that nothing is ever easy." Mayumi said.

"Definitely." Kagura said.

"Agreed." Hope said.

"Yep. But it is fun to see him defeat his own kids so easily." Amun said. "He's like...the ultimate human being."

"Really? Neither Dad or Master Sayuri ever mentioned anything about that." David said.

"Probably because they didn't think we'd ever get into any sort of confrontation with him." Jexi said.

"We should probably continue on. We need to reach the top too." Titanica said.

"Okay. It was nice meeting you guys." Amun said.

"Same." Mark said as they headed out.

"Now...let's see who's next. Oh…" Amun said as next up was Barry, Kenshin, Heart and Leonis. "One of the To Kill's just arrived."

"So you've come, child of my 10th family." Cretaceous said. "Along with the sons of my 5th and 8th family."

"You know why I'm here...dad." Barry said.

"(This is not good. I noticed it earlier but he's prepped a gun on his person. He's ready to fire.)" Leonis thought.

"Yes. To claim the inheritance...you must kill me." Cretaceous said.

"I'm happy to do that. A nice way of payback for not caring about any of us at all." Barry said drawing his gun but before he could pull the trigger, he was surprised to see something land between him and Cretaceous.

"He made it." Heart said as the dust cleared to reveal Zexi.

"Zexi?" Barry asked. "What're you doing here?"

"Barry...I'm sorry but...I'm not going to let you become a killer!" Zexi shouted.

"You don't understand!" Barry said. "That man behind you...he's just a sociopath! He doesn't really care about his kids, he just wants people to remember him. He's no better than Theodore in that way!"

"That may be but...even so...I still won't let you shoot him. If you take his life, you'll just end up being no better than some of these guys in the tower." Zexi said.

"What do you mean? Jexi has killed people, Hope has killed, even David…" Barry said before Zexi slugged him.

"You...have no right to compare yourself to my master and my idols. They only did that to monsters and some people because there was no other way. But there is still a chance to turn you around." Zexi said.

"This boy...he's one of the Black Spiders. How curious. My son...I've decided to make things interesting. In order for you to get your inheritance...you must defeat that boy standing before you." Cretaceous said.

"...Do you really think I care about your damn treasure?" Barry said. "I only came here to do you in. Damien can have it, because unlike you, he actually wants to help people."

"(He still doesn't understand what all of this is for.)" Cretaceous thought. "Then prove it. I will let you kill me but only if you defeat the boy."

"Fine. I will kill you… even if I gotta run right through Zexi." Barry said as he turned towards the Enhanced, his head hung low. "...I'm sorry."

"No….I'm sorry." Zexi said. "If this is the face of a leader of that group...then I want no part in having a coalition on New World!" he said charging right into Barry with a fist hitting him right in the gut.

"Agh…!" Barry gasped as he skidded back and collapsed.

"Barry...this is your last chance. Lose the gun and forget about this revenge." Zexi said.

"... Take it." Barry said, putting the gun on the ground. "I'll...I'll stop...because I respect you." he added, his voice choked up.

Zexi smiled as he walked over to pick the gun up. "Thank you." he said before hurling it off the edge of the tower.

"This boy is indeed powerful. The match is over. Zexi has won." Cretaceous said. "My son...have you ever considered what this inheritance is truly about?"

"I don't need to." Barry said, getting up. "There's nothing you can say that can justify your actions in my eyes."

"That is fine. I don't need it." Cretaceous said. "Though if I were you...you should thank your friend. He just stopped you from going down a path that could not be corrected."

"...Thank you, Zexi." Barry said to the boy before he faced Cretaceous once more. "Listen, Cretaceous: there's more to family than names and blood. You lost the right to call me your son. I won't forgive you...and neither will Peter. Goodbye." he said, walking off.

"Yes...I figured he would say that." Cretaceous said taking a photo out of a younger Barry and a boy by him. "He will always be so hard headed." he said before putting it away. "Now...the two of you…"

"We've come not for the inheritance. We only came to make sure he didn't kill you. That is all." Kenshin said.

"Yes. That is right. A hero never takes rewards." Heart said posing.

"Fair enough. I won't pressure the two of you then." Cretaceous said smiling. "(That makes two of them worthy of it. Now...I just need to wait for the rest.)"


	6. Theodore and the Inheritance

"Okay...where almost there. Floor 999. Meaning next up...is the top." Sunset said.

"Phew...didn't think we'd make it this far so fast." Jexi said.

"A little too fast. This seemed almost too easy…" David said.

"Yeah...Theodore definitely ran in before us along with Arthur, Flux and the others. We only ran into a few of them." Nami said. "Shouldn't we have run into at least those three at least once?"

"Maybe they got lost. It is a pretty big tower." Indigo said.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. We're there." Achilles said as they climbed the stairs to the 1000th floor where Cretaceous waited.

"I've been waiting patiently...children of my 1st, 2nd, 12th and 18th families." Cretaceous said.

"Father…" Damien said. "Listen. I know about the…" he started before they felt the tower shake.

"What's going on?" Miles said.

"I can sense it. Something's coming...something big." Fenric said as something burst through the floor before standing over it was a large humanoid mech.

"You're kidding me…" Hope said.

"Hahaha. It's so nice to meet you at last, father." Theodore said from it.

"Theodore… I had a feeling you'd pull something like this." David said.

"Hmm. Very creative. Children of my 2nd, 4th, 11th, 23rd and 20th families. You have done well to make it here." Cretaceous said.

"Save it and just give us the treasure. We just need to grab ya right? Shouldn't be that hard with this thing." James said.

"They're using a giant mech suit?! Is that even allowed?!" Hagakure asked.

"All I said was they had to reach me and agree to my terms. I never once established basic rules." Cretaceous said.

"Well we were here first, so outta the way!" Bakugo said.

"Oh...really?" Theodore said as a familiar cannon emerged from one of the arms.

"A dimensional cannon?!" Jexi said.

"You no good copycat…" a voice shouted as Flux crawled up the steps. "That's...my mech design. You stole that from me!"

"All's fair in love and war, half brother. Well, not love. More like rising up the corporate ladder." Theodore said. "Now...as to what I was about to do…"

"Hold it! You...owe him a fight." Eddy said pointing to David.

"Uh huh...and who is he?" Theodore asked.

"David Ishihara. He and his goons were the reason I ended up in prison." James said.

"Goons? That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think? Anyway, that's not what he should remember me for." David said.

"Hmm. Oh...I recognize you. You're the one who ruined my Tokyo experiment and my drug experiment with the nagas. Those seemed so distant back then." Theodore said.

"Remember us? You hired Snake Charmer to brainwash us and send us to Tokyo. He and Sachiko were the ones who freed us." Alphamon said.

"And Snake Charmer being killed in the Blue Planet… Yeah, that was me too." David said.

"How dare you! We must fight now! Is that what you're expecting me to say? I could care less about what happened to that failure of an assassin." Theodore said.

"As I thought. You have no regard for life at all. Everyone around you is just another tool to use for your own ends." David said.

"Yeah yeah. Look...I know you hate me cause I inflicted semi-permanent harm to Tokyo but I could care less. I have plans and you aren't in them so…" Theodore began.

"Not so fast. You wouldn't want any of those crimes to get out in public, would you?" David asked.

"Hahaha. You're funny. There exists no physical proof that links me to any of those experiments." Theodore said.

"Or is there?" David asked revealing Sheer with a tape recorder.

"Let's see what the past has to say." Sheer said playing it.

"So all I gotta do is shoot down any new pilot that enters Atlas?" Phon's voice said.

"Phon? What in the...?" Theodore said.

"That's right. And make sure to make it look like accidents for all of them. Just keep it up till I say otherwise." Theodore's voice said. "We'll work quite well together."

"Yes. Indeed we will." Phon said.

"That son of a...he was planning to blackmail me." Theodore said.

"Hmm. Wonder how your boss would feel if this tape suddenly appeared in his office?" Sheer said.

"Theodore. Ignore them. We're so close to…" James said as the mech activated its weapons systems. "Uh...what are you doing?"

"If that tape gets out, my career is finished. I've worked too hard to let it fall apart now." Theodore said. "I don't care if I have to destroy this entire tower...you will not be leaving with that tape!" he said firing them all off.

"Look out!" Hope said as everyone evaded.

"Whoa. Calm down. There are women with them." Eros said.

"Not to mention we're so close to father." Prismic said.

"Shut up." Theodore said continuing to fire.

"Just as I expected. I guess even the stoic and emotionless Theodore Flux has a breaking point." David said. "But that doesn't matter now. For after I have slain you, I'll say it over the graves of your countless victims...and into the ears of your masterless men. 'It will be as though Theodore Flux never existed'."

"STOP TALKING!" Theodore yelled trying to destroy David.

"David, I think you're making him unstable! Keep doing what you're doing!" Hope said.

"This may sound foolish, but I never would've gotten this far without the support of my comrades." he said as Cheetah comes up the stairs, but stops just a ways to let David finish his speech. David notices this and smiles before turning back to Theodore. "They showed me the ways of the worlds outside and helped me experience things that I never thought were possible."

"Are you still blabbering? Just shut up already!" Theodore said.

"They helped me see the light. Helped me get out of this wretched mindset of how everything was fated, pre-ordained. They helped me realize that only I can decide where my path leads. I will never forget those who died, those days or this! And I know that when my path reaches its end, I too will be remembered… You however can make no such claim, Theodore!" David said.

"What do you mean by that?" Theodore asked.

"Think about it. When all is said and done, what little did you achieve through your villainy?" David asked. "You walk the path of a coward, creeping your way through the dark. Tis lonely, and that loneliness will follow you unto death! Theodore Flux, may you suffer for eternity, without a kindred soul to give you solace!"

"Oh my god! I am done listening to this drivel." Theodore said aiming both Dimensional Cannons at him. "I've always wondered what would happen if you fire these at a human being...let's find out together!" he said as they charged power.

"Oh...that guy just dug his own grave." Flux said.

"Don't you get it? You're nothing! I am a respected scientist! I am the more important one. You...you're just some stupid kid! You are...not...important!" Theodore shouted.

"Wait! Stop! The mech can't handle this much power!" James said.

"So...any last words...no one?" Theodore said.

"Just five. How tough is that mech?" David asked.

"Huh?" Theodore said before noticing the Royal Knights had him surrounded.

"This is not good. Forget the tape, Theodore. We can still make it out." Club said.

"Never!" Theodore said.

"Forget this. I'm outta here." James said hitting the eject button as did the other three as they exited from the mech.

"Die! Die! Die! Die! DIIIIIEEEE!" Theodore shouted before all 13 of the Royal Knights combined their energies as they fired a counter laser right back as they collided, causing the mech to explode into pieces.

"That...is enough." Crusadermon said.

"Ugh...no no no! My mech...its...its ruined!" Theodore said climbing out of the wreckage. "All...my hard work. Is this...really where my ambitions end?"

"Care to do the honors, David?" Ace asked.

"And what honors would that be?" Cretaceous said standing between them.

"Theodore, the crimes you have committed will never go unpunished. The suffering you have caused will never be healed. However...killing you like this, would just leave a bad taste in my mouth." David said.

"Hehehe. Yeah. No guts. I'm still a top scientist. I control most of All Science Go. I can still…" Theodore started.

"Still what, Mr. Flux?" a voice asked as they looked to a holographic screen of an old man in a wheelchair.

"M-Mr. President!?" Theodore said standing at attention.

"That's ASGs president?" Hope said.

"Look, sir. I apologize for my unexplained absence but I can explain it. You see…" Theodore started.

"I do not want to hear it. Theodore, your assistant has brought before me a number of troubling matters. Accepting bribes, buying slaves...and what's this? Digitizing Tokyo?!" he said.

"Uh...none of them are true. And there is…" Theodore said.

"Don't listen to a word he says sir." Sachiko said.

"She's right. He's nothing but a manipulative scumbag." David said.

"Lies! All lies right…" Theodore said.

"Silence!" the president said.

"Yes sir." Theodore said.

"And those were just a small number of the incredible atrocities brought before me. Honestly, I am appalled." the president said.

"Sir, please. Just give me…" Theodore began.

"No. I'm sorry but I cannot simply ignore these. I apologize...but I'm going to have to let you go." the president said.

"F-fired?! No! You need me! I'm the only one smart enough to control those branches." Theodore said.

"Not true. Your assistant has proven to be capable of managing them, even more than you. So...until I find more suited experts...I'm giving control of all of your branches to Norman." the president said.

"N-Norman?!" Theodore asked in shock before turning to David. "You… This is all your fault!"

"Actually...it's your fault." a voice said as a white haired child was on screen now. "You just thought I was some kid you could manipulate. But in the end, you ended up being played."

"You...you...you!" Theodore shouted.

"I thank you for that day, Theodore. But...I have to keep up with my job. So...goodbye." Norman said as he hung up.

"Fired...no more tech, no finances...I….have nothing." Theodore said tearing up. "Why did I...even start any of this to begin with?"

"There goes a broken man." Ace said.

"Son of...no...Theodore." Cretaceous said. "Life is not something that goes according to our will or rule. I've learned that lesson several times. Forget your ambitions, start over from zero. That is all I can say."

"Start...over?" Theodore said. "You know I can't do that… I have gone too far to back out now, and now that I have lost everything, there's only one thing now…" Theodore said as he started charging at David.

David fueled ice into his fist and turned it into a gauntlet. Once he's charged he swings his fist at full force. The impact hit Theodore incredibly hard, sending him flying right off the tower and towards the dark abyss surrounding the land the tower was on.

"(You're Hell's problem now. All of your operations will now go to someone suitable, one that can use what you've built for the betterment of all of life. And all of this happened because of

one mistake, Theodore. One mistake that could have avoided all of this.)" David said in Japanese as he tipped his hat. "(You went the extra mile, and pissed me off.)"

"Theodore...maybe one day...you will start over." Cretaceous said looking over the edge.

"So...is it over?" Stoj asked.

"No...it's not." Damien said. "The inheritor still hasn't been decided."

"Doesn't matter anyway!" James shouted appearing near a large safe on the top. "It's all mine! I've cracked the safe. And it is…" he said as it opened. "What? But...how is this? How can this be? How...can it be an empty safe?!"

"You've been tricked, boi!" Akane said.

"No...he hasn't. He couldn't get anything from the safe because there was nothing in it to begin with." Cretaceous said.

"But...what about the treasure?" James said.

"And the weapons?" Flux asked.

"And the research?" Prismic asked.

"Of all the times I talked of my inheritance...did I ever even say what it actually was?" Cretaceous asked.

"Now that you mention it… No, no you haven't." Elena said.

"Indeed. All of you just assumed it was something simple such as treasure or devices. No. The inheritance is much more than that." Cretaceous said. "My inheritance to these universes...they stand right before me now."

"This...was your reason…" Flux realized.

"I get it now." Hope said.

"I doubt you do but I will sum it up." Arthur said having just arrived. "The inheritance is not something for one person but...the inheritance is the children who overcame their baser instincts to cause evil and destruction. Your children that will help make these universes a better place."

"Incredible…" Gemini said.

"From the very beginning, he had us all totally fooled. The Inheritance wasn't just something… it was every Flux that made it here." Ichiro said.

Barry couldn't believe what he just heard. "You…. you really do care about us."

"But...I don't get it. Why make multiple families?" Flux said.

"If you recall...several years after discovering I had a second family, I confided that fact with you. And you...you just smiled and made this." Cretaceous said lifting the cover off a childish looking city with Fluxtopia on it.

"You...you kept that?" Flux said.

"I did. You were the one who inspired this path." Cretaceous warmly smiled as he pressed a button on the model.

"Don't you dare hate yourself, daddy. Because one day, I'll make a place for all of us to belong! Where we can be one happy family! It'll be a utopia...a Fluxtopia!" a recording of a younger Flux said.

"So that was what you were getting at all this time." David said.

"Father...no...dad." Flux said tearing up. "You really do know how to tug at the heartstrings."

"It's okay, my son." Cretaceous said holding him close. "I'm glad to have a son like you...to have children like all of you."

"Our father…" Arthur said as he and the other Flux Family members one by one approached him and gathered in the heartwarming moment. "You two, too. Come on." he said spotting Techno and Shin.

"What? Come on...it's not like...we actually need love right?" Shin said looking away in embarrassment as he got close.

Techno looked at the scene before shrugging his shoulders, grabbing Shin, and leading both of them to join the moment.

"And that's how the Inheritance War ended that day. Not with massive bloodshed but the acceptance of a father by his children. It went down as the single most noteworthy and heartwarming event to occur in the Darkness Universe. Since this, the Flux Family has been famous for helping and protecting worlds rather than destroying them." Glitz's voice said.


	7. Epilogue

A couple of days after the Inheritance War ended, the Flux Families stayed within the safe rooms of the tower for awhile before they started to depart one after the other.

"Okay, evil doers! I've arrived and...hey...where's the big battle?" Theo said reaching the top.

"I'm afraid you were too late." a voice said as Cheetah came up with David.

"A shame you missed it. It was quite crazy." David said.

"What? Aw. And I came back from the dead two days ago to help you." Theo said.

"Told you we shouldn't have stopped to break every 10th floor." Topaz said as his party soon caught up.

"Still, great to see you, Theo." Hope said.

"Thanks. Glad to be back." Theo said. "Well...guess if there's no fight, I better be going home to the guild. Minona's probably missed me a lot."

"More than he can imagine." most of them thought not wanting to tell Theo what's gone on in his absence.

"Theo...I'm sorry." Ace said.

"Huh? For what?" Theo said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"About what happened at the Keyblade Graveyard. All I could do was watch and see you struck down." Ace said.

"Let me ask ya something Ace… was that moment really your fault?" Theo asked.

"No." Ace said.

"Then it's not your fault. You did nothing wrong. So it's not really a problem for you." Theo said.

"You're right. Thanks. I've held onto this for you." Ace said holding out an item.

"Why do you have my good luck charm?" Theo asked.

"He...picked this up from when Xehanort struck you. He was hoping to give it back to you as soon as you revived." David said.

"Ah...thanks." Theo said taking it. "This is something I hold very dear. They'd never forgive me if it ended up broken." he said stashing it.

"I kept it safe, till the day you would come back." Ace smiled.

"Thanks. Now...let's go!" Theo said jumping off the tower.

"Don't go jumping off you idiot!" his guildmates shouted following after him.

"Yep, he's back." David said chuckling.

"Still, what a twist ending that was." Hope said. "I gotta say, Cretaceous is quite the trickster."

"Hearing all of what he said, Barry…. Do you still hate him?" Mark asked.

"...No." Barry said. "I mean, it's going to take some time, but...I think I can finally let go of all the hatred. It feels...nice."

"Yeah, it does." Mark said, smiling.

"Keep working on the Coalition, Barry. Do your part in realizing what Cretaceous wanted from you." Hope said.

"Yeah...and...maybe we'll hold off on the base idea until you get your life back together. Don't want to establish our capital on New World with you in a state like that." Zexi said.

"Actually, I've been thinking and...I've decided to keep the Coalition on Cross-World Standard." Barry said. "I'm still interested in a partnership with you all, but the more I thought about it, I realized something: New World is a place of peace, and the Coalition would probably attract unwanted attention there. So if you ever need me, you'll know where to look."

"Sam would be happy to hear that." Zexi said smiling.

"In that case, send him my regards...oh, and Grif says to put in a pizza place." Barry said, laughing. "Anyway, I have to get going. See you all around the Multiverse!" he said, waving goodbye as he departed.

"Yeah...see ya." Zexi said seeing him off.

Meanwhile, Hope and Spade were talking with Damien.

"Damien...something weird happened. The Malice on Spade just up and vanished." Hope said.

"I know." Damien said.

"What do you mean you know? Diseases don't…" Hope said.

"Diseases don't just vanish. But then again, the Malice wasn't an actual disease or parasite to start out with." Damien said.

"What was it then?" Spade asked.

"If I had to guess...some experiment of my father's. He never once slowed down even with that on him. That proved that it was no disease. Just something clinging onto him and Spade and were ordered to stay until the war had ended." Damien said.

"Wow…" Hope said. "He really isn't an ordinary man, huh, Spade?"

"Indeed. Father always did say that he was a man of many mysteries, even to him." Spade said.

"Yeah. Well...I better be going. I've heard there's an opening at a medical school in the Life Universe." Damien said.

"It was awesome traveling with you, Damien. I'll be rooting for you to become a great doctor." Hope said.

"Thanks. Just don't go getting yourself killed." Damien joked.

"Very funny, bud." Hope said seeing Damien off.

"Well, I'm going to have to explain all of this to my boss. I wasn't expecting to leave empty-handed." Elena said.

"But didn't you say that it didn't matter who won as long as James didn't?" Shuichi asked. "I think that's a Mission Complete as far as we are concerned."

"Yeah...big mission complete there." James said.

"So where will you go now?" Shuichi asked.

"Well I've got no money, no show...guess I'll just restart my fortune from scratch." James said.

"Just as long as you don't start another season of Danganronpa, we're good." Hope said. "And don't you start asking me for ideas, buster."

"What? No. I would never ask for any idea from you Mr…" James said holding a pad of paper and a pen.

*CLANG!*

Stoj held a frying pan as she bonked James on the head with it.

"Buttermilk Biscuits…." James groaned as he fell over. "Idea for show...annoying fairy who hits those who bother her with frying pan." he said before passing out.

"Whew… thanks Stoj. I almost thought I was gonna go through the same thing again." Hope said.

"Of course he would try that. I'll see about dropping him off somewhere where he'll do the least harm." Elena said.

"Maybe we can ask Ishihara here to join us for a few excursions." Anastasia said.

"Pass. I'll be heading back to Tokyo to get further training from Sayuri and Dad for the King of Fighters tournament." David said.

"I'll go with you then, we are the Golden Pair, after all." Sectonia said.

"I'll be going with you as well, my Lord." Kabuki said with a bow.

"I see. We understand. Hopefully, we'll see each other around." Elena said reaching into a communicator. "Mission Complete, heading back to HQ." she said as she carried James with her.

"Offer's still open if you change your mind." Anastasia said as she followed Elena.

"Now that just leaves...hey, the Lost Thieves are gone!" Hope said. "So's Flux and Ian."

Down below, Arthur and Flux looked back before smirking.

"Sure you wanna give up a quiet life?" Arthur asked.

"Eh...after doing it for a long while...it's just not me." Flux said. "Causing my own brand of chaos...now that is my calling. And no hero is going to call me otherwise."

"Well...think this is going to be the start of a valuable partnership, dear brother." Arthur said as he and Flux laughed.

"Wow...those two seem like maniacs when partnered." Shin said watching them walk off.

"Yes, but that's one of their positive traits." Techno said. "Now that the war is over, what do you intend to do now?"

"Honestly, I have no clue. Suppose I'll just look for my next big con somewhere out there." Shin said.

"I see." Techno nodded. "As for me and my team...we lost one of our own here. We're going to get her back." he said, his eyes shining with determination.

"But...wasn't she already revived once? You know once they've been brought back once they can't be brought back again...unless you're in Dragon Ball." Shin said.

"Yes...that is true. But...we will live on. We will fulfill our destiny." Techno said.

"Then until we meet again." Shin said as he departed.

"Farewell." Techno replied before he turned to see the other Universal Villains standing behind him. "Everyone...ready to go make trouble?"

"As if you needed to ask." DaDan said as they took off.

_Back with the heroes…_

"So...you're leaving too, Jexi?" Hope asked.

"Yeah. Zexi's asked us to help him to build his capital with him. It might take us longer than six months to make it back." Jexi said. "Can't really say no to my apprentice."

"I'll contact Al and let her know to meet up with us whenever she can." Mari said.

"Along with Mari, we'll be heading back to Devaloka to train for the tournament." Ace said.

"What will we do, Hope?" Nu asked.

"We should probably prepare for training too. And strategize." Hope said. "Mark? What's your agenda?"

"Simple. I'm heading home." Mark said. "Going to train, prepare for what's coming. It's going to be fun to interact with all of my teammates." he said, looking at the rest of Team Chronicle. "I haven't really gotten a chance to relax since I started this...what last year? It's been fun, but we all need a chance to relax, right?"

"Yeah. Let's all meet back up at the sight of the KOF tourney." Hope said.

"Hope...I honestly don't think me and my guys will make it in time." Jexi said.

"Eh?" Hope asked. "What do you mean, Jexi?"

"This is going to be a huge project we'll be working on with Zexi and his friends. It seems more than likely to take us past the tournament." Jexi said. "I'm sorry."

"Its okay." Hope said.

"Besides...I've seen you guys grow and mature. You can easily dominate that thing without me or my team." Jexi said.

"Are you sure you want to make that decision? It's not like you to pass up on something like this." Cheetah said.

"I know. But I think it's time I stepped out of the spotlight for awhile." Jexi said. "Besides, after hearing what David and Cretaceous said...I gotta be thinking about my own priorities as well."

"When do you think we'll see each other again?" Ace asked.

"Hmm...if we finish construction around the same time the tournament ends...let's meet here." Jexi said marking a location.

"That place is…" Hope said.

"Shh. Don't think too hard about it." Jexi said.

"Oh...sorry." Hope said.

"Now...about time we left. See you guys another time." Jexi said with a smile.

"See ya, Jexi!" Hope called as the Dimensional Heroes left.

"And then there were three." Ace said.

Hope then turned to Ace and David. "Let's all get ready for the KOF tournament, and then meet up at the venue. I look forward to seeing you all after a few months."

"Au revoir." Spade said.

"See you guys later." Ace said with a wink as he and the rest of Spirit Force left on their ship.

"I still have some compensation to pay Cheetah, though. I ended up calling her all the way here for nothing." David said.

"Not...exactly nothing." Cheetah said.

"Hm? What do you mean by that?" David asked.

"It took some time, but… I finally understood where my destiny with Diana lies now." Cheetah said. "Honestly, this wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for you, as ironic as it is to admit."

"So what? You two are all buddy-buddy now?" Sero asked.

"Don't ruin the moment." Cheetah said.

"What she's trying to say is that she's finally starting to make sense of everything, is all." Cia said.

David hands Cheetah a bag of monster limbs. "Spoils of the monsters we've defeated. Hopefully, this should suit as compensation."

"Yes. This will do very nicely. As for you… I'll be seeing you at the tournament. You'd best not vanish on me until then."

"Come on… You know I'm not the type to miss out on something like this." David said.

"I'll be looking forward to it. See you around." Cheetah said as she headed off.

"And what about you guys?" David asked the Royal Knights.

"We still have a few modifications to make. After that, we'll be catching up with King Drasil until the day of the tournament." Leopardmon said. "I'll be looking forward to matching wits with you at last."

"So will I. See you guys." David said as the Royal Knights left. It was at that point, the Tapu Guardians left David's body. "Well, guys. It's been quite the ride."

"Yes, it has. We've watched you grow into a fine young man. We're proud to have formed a contract with you. But right now, Alola needs us." Tapu Koko said.

"We've been away from our Islands for too long. I need to get back into being one with nature itself." Tapu Lele said.

"But, will we see you again?" Sectonia asked.

"Probably not in time for the tournament, but we'll still be rooting for you." Tapu Fini said.

"Well, until we meet again." Tapu Bulu said as the Tapu Guardians headed back to Alola.

David looks to Hope. "Well, Hope. I guess this is where we part for now."

"We'll meet again." Hope said. "See you at the KOF tournament."

"Yep. Never lose that optimism of yours. It's your best trait." David said.

As The Shining Hope Squad left, David stared out into the view.

"Well, guys. This has been pretty crazy. When I first started this journey, I have never thought that things would've been like this." David said.

"But we managed to pull through because we believed in ourselves, and each other." Sectonia said.

"She's right. The bonds that bind us together will keep making us stronger and stronger with each passing day." Sachiko said.

"All we can do is keep moving forward. That's Dwarven Vow #1, after all." Lloyd said.

"No matter how much time passes or where we end up, the bonds we share will never fade." Shuichi said.

"Even if we end up walking different paths." Jude said.

"The only thing that matters to us is each other." Mayumi said.

"Thank you, everyone." David said. "The Inheritance War may be over, and we may be split from the others for the time being for training. But… I have this feeling." David said with a smile. "Our real journey...has only just begun."

_The second part of the journey has ended. When we next see this alliance of heroes, what adventures will they have next? Only time will tell...but one thing is for sure..._

This is not the end!

The Dimensional Heroes will return

See you in Part 3!

Starts 1 week from now.


End file.
